How your support helped Kawontaye find stability, confidence, and a home for her family

When Kawontaye first came to The Sharing Center, she was carrying more than financial stress. She was carrying uncertainty, responsibility, and the emotional weight of trying to protect her children while navigating homelessness.

“Being homeless, staying with other people, that’s very stressful,” she shared. You can’t really be at ease.”

For a mother of three, the hardest moments were not just about housing. They were about the words she didn’t want to say. 

“Telling my kids no or we have to wait, that really breaks my heart.”

Kawontaye knew something had to change.

Asking for help and being met with dignity

Like many parents, asking for help was not easy. Pride, fear, and the possibility of judgment can stop people before they ever walk through the door.

“I don’t like to ask for help because people will judge you. They never judged me at the Sharing Center,” Kawontaye said.

Instead of criticism, she found compassion.

“I felt like family when I first walked in the door.”

That first experience changed everything. She began using services such as The Pantry, clothing assistance, and staff guidance. But one program, in particular, became the turning point.

Learn more:
The Pantry: Seminole County’s Largest Free Food Pantry

ProjectRISE and a new beginning

Through ProjectRISE, Kawontaye found more than practical support. She found belief.

“ProjectRISE changed my life in so many ways.”

The program helped her rebuild confidence and shift how she saw herself.

“It helped me feel like I’m enough. It doesn’t make me feel like an outcast or a statistic.”

When she completed the program and walked across the stage at graduation, something inside her shifted.

“When we walked in, and all the attention was on us, it was good attention. When I went home, I cried.”

It was not just a ceremony. It was proof that she could finish something. Proof that she could move forward.

Related resource:
Finding purpose through ProjectRISE: Shane’s story

A home, stability, and hope

Today, Kawontaye and her children live in their own home in Winter Springs. Her children, ages 19, 16, and 15, are enjoying a sense of normalcy that once felt out of reach.

“Now that we’re in our own home, it gives us hope.”

For Kawontaye, having a place to call her own means she can finally breathe.

“I don’t have to feel like I’m a bother to someone.”

When she once feared losing her children, stability from The Sharing Center brought her peace of mind as a parent. 

Those words reflect the deep fear many parents carry when housing is uncertain. Through the support she received at The Sharing Center, that fear began to ease.

Learn more:
Finding strength in support: Claudia’s story

Finding a support system

Beyond housing and financial guidance, Kawontaye found community inside ProjectRISE.

“We all motivated each other. We pushed each other. We were very much a family.”

That sense of shared encouragement strengthened her resolve.

“I didn’t give up. I kept pushing.”

Today, her goals are clear.

“Getting my own car, getting my own home, and just being able to provide for my children—that’s what I’m excited about.”

A message to others

Kawontaye understands that the programs and services she accessed are made possible by community support.

And for anyone who may be hesitant to ask for help, she offers this reassurance:

“If you need help, come. The team at the Sharing Center doesn’t judge you.”

For Kawontaye and her children, The Sharing Center was not just a resource. It was a turning point. A place to rebuild confidence. A place to find stability. A place to breathe again.

Real stories, real impact
Watch how The Sharing Center is helping families and individuals like Kawontaye’s

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